THE VIDEO

LIMITED EDITION BAG

10 years of artistic freedom. 10 years of edgy in-your-face folly. Happy birthday!

THE COLLABORATION

Interview with Jeremy Scott and Sophie Delafontaine

INTERVIEW WITH JEREMY SCOTT

November 2015

How did your partnership with Longchamp begin?

It all started with a project to do a series of bags that looked like shipping crates with "This is not your bag" stamped on the pocket. The inspiration came from that dummy luggage airlines put on baggage carousels with warnings on them to check your name tag because a lot of bags look the same.

How would you describe your relationship with Longchamp?

It's like I'm part of the family! From the second I started working on that project, falling in love with the Le Pliage® bag and being asked to design a special edition for my collection, I just fell head over heels for the brand and the people who created it.

Longchamp is a family business. Does that change anything?

Yes, definitely. It really comes through in how they approach projects and manage all the shops. Love for the trade transcends tradition.

Fashion is notoriously fleeting. Why do you think this partnership has lasted so long?

The staying power lies in the Le Pliage® bag's ability to be transformed. It's the brand's icon! It can be THE look of the season for every collection. Simply put, it's the perfect medium for creativity.

What three words would you use to describe Longchamp?

Family

Iconic

Passion

What's your process with Longchamp each season?

I have been working with Sophie and Jean for so long that they trust me to give everything I've got and come up with concepts that capture the essence of the season. I can make minor adjustments at the last minute given the kind of deadlines we have. That's my biggest problem!

What selection criteria do you use when choosing a pattern or image to put on the Longchamp Le Pliage® bag?

I try to use the image I think best represents the collection or will tell its story. Needless to say, I also think about what goes best with it and lastly what I would want to bring with me.

Why do you only work on one style – the travel bag – and why that style in particular?

I love that style. It's the best! Not only can you store tons of things in the bag, but it's the perfect size for my graphics, as you can see. I love stuff that's a bit racy!

Out of all your designs for Longchamp, which ones are your favorites?

The "Greetings from Paradise" postcard bag is one of my favorites because it makes me feel like I'm on vacation. I also really like the Gold Card one.

What personal items do you put in your Le Pliage® travel bag?

It might be better to ask which personal items not to put in the bag! I'm constantly stuffing them in there. It's a miracle to always be able to carry them around. I have to say it's so durable that I've never ripped or damaged it, I put tons of heavy books in it and never had a problem.

When did you realize you wanted to be a fashion designer?

Maybe around 13 or 14 years old, when I realized I could actually turn my love for fashion into a career.

What else would you have done?

I studied art and art history, I was seriously into it. That was really my world until I started getting interested in fashion.

Who and what inspires you?

So many people and things do!

My friends, life in general. The process can be as random as the color of the car I'm driving or as well-known as Barbie! There are infinite sources of inspiration and they take on any number of forms, from small to huge.

Which well-known fashion designers, past or present, do you look up to the most?

Rudi Gernreich is definitely one of my favorites. His work with Peggy Moffit was a deeply touching lesson for me in the kind of relationship a designer has with his muse. I was lucky that she brought up the subject with me herself. It was magical!

What words would you use to describe your sense of aesthetics?

Fun, sexy, colorful, and cheerful!

What does humor bring to fashion?

A touch of levity, I hope.

What is your best quality? What is your worst fault?

My best quality is taking care of others. I truly do care for my friends and their happiness. I think I am a good friend. My worst fault would maybe be that I don't know how to say no.

What advice would you give to your teenage self?

It's not real, it's just a phase!!!

What is your idea of the perfect day?

I would go to a double feature. I love going to the movies!

What is your favorite place on earth?

My home.

What do you consider the most precious thing?

The friendship I have with the people I love, whom I am very close to. That is what I cherish the most!

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what music and book would you want to have?

I can listen to Lana Del Rey anytime anywhere, so I think she'd be the one. My favorite book is Maybe the Moon by Armistead Maupin.

INTERVIEW WITH SOPHIE DELAFONTAINE

November 2015

How did Longchamp's partnership with Jeremy Scott begin?

I met Jeremy for the first time in New York in 2005 through a mutual acquaintance. At the time we were getting ready to open the Longchamp flagship store in Soho. It was an avant-garde project designed by Thomas Heatherwick, who was very special to us. I had already heard people talking about how talented Jeremy was, but I thought he was amazing and absolutely thrilled he agreed to design a collection of bags to commemorate the opening.

Would that be the "This is not your bag" series?

Yes! Jeremy came to see me with all this rolling luggage that looked like wooden crates stamped with "Fragile" and "This is not your bag" in big letters. That collaboration made a huge splash, especially because Longchamp had never released a line like that before.

How did that project develop from there?

We were so happy with the "This is not your bag " collection that we wanted to continue working together. Jeremy then came up with the idea to choose a print from his ready-to-wear collection and put it on the Le Pliage® bag. He wanted to give the bags to VIP guests at his fashion show and Longchamp wanted to sell them as a limited edition, which we have done.

So this is definitely a mutually beneficial partnership?

That's what makes it so great. Jeremy sees the Le Pliage® as a source of inspiration and a way to shine the spotlight on his runway shows because everyone wants to get the bag and for Longchamp it's a new version that customers anxiously await every season. We have been on the same wave length from the start. Jeremy brings us his energy, optimism and passion for color plus his sense of humor, which are all values that have been part of Longchamp's DNA forever.

Is there a specific kind of customer who buys the Le Pliage® bag by Jeremy Scott?

Of course, there are many people who collect them but this series appeals to a broad range of customers and, depending on the design, the customers change every season. Each print reflects a different state of mind. One season it might be Kawaii style, the next it could be more manly or the theme may be something about vacations. So every release is unique, yet you can always tell it's a Jeremy Scott creation.

What do you think draws people to Jeremy Scott?

Everyone can relate to his sense of humor, which is quite amazing. He's able to be funny without reducing it to something crass, which is a rare quality. Even though it's usually considered pop art, his work holds many other hidden treasures. He has a stunning sense of detail. Everything he does has a little added touch that we miss the first time.

How do you actually work together?

Well, we email back and forth a lot because I work in Paris and Jeremy is in Los Angeles. But we enjoy seeing each other whenever we can. Every season he emails me the image that he wants us to use. When his email arrives, I'm like a little girl opening Christmas presents. It's such a special occasion!

Does Jeremy usually send you a few suggestions or just one?

Usually only one because he actually chooses a graphic from his collection that he specially redesigns just for the Le Pliage®. Jeremy knows exactly what he wants. Typically, his images are put right on the bag and, like I was saying before, he's really detailed-oriented which means it takes a long time to do. The Madballs collection in Fall 2014 was the only exception. We designed different images to create pairs.

It's obvious you like working with Jeremy...

Absolutely! On the outside he's seen as an eccentric fashion designer, but he's a consummate professional and a real perfectionist with an incredible work ethic. He is also the gentlest and kindest person you could ever meet. It's a real pleasure working with him.

Do you own a Le Pliage® bag by Jeremy Scott?

I have all of them and use them all the time. I almost always bring them with me when I travel. It is surprising how enjoyable waiting at the airport can be with a Jeremy Scott bag, like when the other travelers are in a rush and they all have the same luggage. It's almost become a lucky charm.

What are your favorite pieces?

It's hard to choose, but I have a slight weakness for one of Jeremy's first creations, the Poodle Bag. It has a little pink poodle who's landed on earth (Fall 2007). It's timeless and always makes me smile. The bag I probably use the most is the one with the pink and black planes and roses, which has a rock 'n' roll feel to it (Spring 2009). When I go on vacation, I always take the "Greetings from Paradise" postcard bag to get me in the mood (Spring 2012).

Why did you decide to work on the Le Pliage® travel bag format?

Just because everyone likes that style. For example, a smaller style would have only been for women. The travel bag model can be worn as a women's handbag or a men's briefcase. It can also be used as a gym bag and Jeremy Scott fans use it as a city bag.

Have you ever tried adding a different model?

No, because we want to keep the Le Pliage® by Jeremy Scott as an exclusive. Expanding the collection would defeat the purpose.

Have you and Jeremy planned to commemorate this 10-year anniversary by doing a retrospective?

Quite the contrary, we are actually planning our next release. We are not into nostalgia. In fact, I think we can't wait to celebrate the next 10 years!

THE PARTY

THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Longchamp, the French luxury House, celebrated 10 years of collaboration with designer, Jeremy Scott at Club James at Sheats Goldstein Residence.

THE RETROSPECTIVE

A look back at the 10-year partnership

Longchamp and Jeremy Scott have been combining their talents for 10 years. 10 years of one-of-a-kind designs. A 10-year partnership where even the sky is no limit. 10 years of daring, original designs.

We cheer his cheekiness. We defer to such nerve. Jeremy Scott is one of those rare designers who is afraid of nothing. His infatuation with pop art graphics and electrified colors have earned him a reputation for shaking up runways with over-the-top creations. Back in 2006, Longchamp sought out this enfant terrible of the fashion world. The unorthodox union between a legendary leather accessory company that has been defining French chic since 1948 and the madcap designer raised a lot of eyebrows. The partnership is perfectly aligned with the brand's vision. Jean Cassegrain, CEO and the founder's grandson, explains, "Giving artists an outlet to express themselves is a way for Longchamp to step outside its comfort zone."

Longchamp has been a champion of contemporary and avant-garde art since the 1970s. The brand works with cutting-edge creatives – sometimes under the radar but always with adoration. Whether seasoned designers or rising stars, they have all been invited to put their artistic mark on the bag. Jeremy Scott was spotted for his creative genius and joined the list of Longchamp partner artists in 2006. "Jeremy and I met for the first time in New York," says Sophie Delafontaine, Longchamp's Artistic Director and the founder's granddaughter. "I thought Jeremy had a dazzling personality and, of course, I already knew how talented he was." A trial run turned into a stroke of genius and laid the groundwork for the long-term collaboration. As part of the bargain, he was given carte blanche with the legendary Le Pliage® bag. "We wanted to push the partnership further and Jeremy's idea was to use a new design from his collection every season," adds Sophie Delafontaine. The Le Pliage® bag is always conceived as a travel bag. "I love this style because it's laid-back, plus it's the perfect size for showing off my images," explains Jeremy Scott. Every season the brazen designer pulls out all the stops with this timeless Longchamp classic.

While the famous Le Pliage® tote's original trapezoid shape and sumptuous leather never change, it does get mixed up with some wacky designs. Jeremy Scott has free rein and never holds back. "Sophie Delafontaine and Jean Cassegrain have been working with me for so long that they trust me. Of course, I choose the design that makes me want to use the bag myself," explains Jeremy Scott. By slapping on his eye-popping prints, he is inspiring a whole new look. "From the second I started working with Longchamp, I fell in love with the legendary Le Pliage® bag," admits Jeremy Scott. Every season the designer takes a trendsetting motif from his ready-to-wear collection and puts it on the iconic bag. "Each graphic has a different style, each series is unique but you can always tell it's a Jeremy Scott," points out Sophie Delafontaine. The Le Pliage® bag has been the canvas for a poodle in space (The Poodle Bag), flashy credit cards (The Gold Card), tire marks (The Tire Track), Madballs and astrological signs (The Zodiac). In a league of their own, these cheery designs raise the brand's tradition to a whole new level. "What's really great is everyone can relate to Jeremy's sense of humor," concludes Sophie Delafontaine. With Longchamp's creativity behind him, Jeremy Scott outdoes himself and always takes it a step further. He embodies the spirit of a family business that has been innovating, pushing the boundaries and constantly reinventing itself from day one. It's more than just a partnership, it's a deep devotion to the Longchamp philosophy. "Longchamp is like my family," says Jeremy Scott. "I have fallen in love with the brand!"

As each new season approaches, the burning question is always, "What will the new Jeremy Scott for Longchamp look like?" His devotees are not the only ones on the edge of their seats. All the creators in the Longchamp studios anxiously await the unpredictable designer's newest zany sketch. With meticulous mastery, they turn his image into a reality. Cutting the canvas and leather, dying it, stitching the bag together. Over and over for many long hours they painstakingly apply the craftsmanship that has been unique to Longchamp for decades. But this highly skilled leatherwork is not set in stone, it moves with the modern-day artistic whims and challenges that Jeremy Scott offers up. At Longchamp they say, "Every impossible project with a fashion designer makes us better at what we do." Just like this maverick partnership that has been shaking up and resetting the boundaries for 10 years. 10 years of artistic freedom. 10 years of edgy in-your-face folly. Happy birthday!